Healthiness

     

     I love having groceries. I love being able to open my fridge and pull out food. The simple pleasures of life are always the best, right? What I love most of all, though, is being able to cook my own meals again. (As though I was being Forced to not cook the past two weeks - I know it is my own fault I didn't grocery shop before...don't look at me like that.) Point being, I felt so unhealthy the past two weeks eating out all the time - I have had more Chipotle in these few days than I have had in my entire life combined before now. So, now that I have food, what am I making to make myself feel better?

     Pizza, apparently. Pizza doesn't even sound like a healthy food, but my pizza was as healthy as pizza can get (probably). Potatoes, kale, a little bit of cheese - I didn't even put a sauce! What else can you ask for? It is sitting in my bag staring at me, and I really want to have some even though these two pieces have to last me till 4:30 (when I finish class). Excuse me while I eat.

     Yum. Anyway, I still had a Trader Joe's Pizza Dough sitting in my freezer so I defrosted it along with the kale I boiled and froze a long time ago. Must make way for all the new groceries that are going into my freezer. I bought the potatoes yesterday, and I couldn't wait to use them - so of course they had to go on the pizza as well. Also, I like kale, and it's healthy and all, but I can't imagine eating a Just Kale pizza. That just sounds awful to me...

     Making pizza is so relaxing and easy. Especially when the most time consuming part of the process is waiting for the potatoes simmering away in a pot of water to become tender. It sure takes a lot of hands on work. (Sarcasm, just in case its not clear. Sarcasm and writing on the internet don't seem to always go together.) So, what does my pizza taste like? Crust thats crisp on the outside but has a little give on the inside, hurrah for Trader Joe's, soft potatoes, salty garlicky lemony Kale, and the nice crunch of cheese. What else can one ask for?

Kale and Potato Pizza


1 16 oz ball of Trader Joe's Pizza Dough
OR Enough Pizza Dough for a 12'' diameter thin-crust pizza 
3 mid-sized Red Potatoes 
1 tsp Salt 
1 tsp Pepper
2 tbsp Olive Oil 
1 Garlic Clove, Minced
1/3 cup Pre-boiled Kale (or you could use fresh kale) drained of water
1 Lime (or Lemon)
1/3 cup Shredded Monterey Jack Cheese (or whatever kind of cheese you have) 

If your pizza dough is in the fridge, make sure to take it out 20 minutes before you plan to use it.

Pre-heat your oven to 425 degrees. Place the three potatoes in a medium saucepan and cover with water, adding a dash of salt. At medium heat, cover the saucepan and let the potatoes simmer for 10-15 minutes until you can easily stick a fork through them (it will take different times depending on the size of your potatoes). Meanwhile, cut the ribs off your kale if you have not already, and shred it into about 2'' by 2'' pieces.

Once your potatoes are done, pull them out of the hot water. While they are cooling, heat the olive oil up in a frying pan at medium heat. Add the garlic, and once it is lightly browned, add the kale. Stir everything together, cooking till the kale is limp, and then squeeze and mix in the lime (or lemon) juice. Turn off the heat, making sure the kale is thoroughly coated with lemon juice and olive oil. Then, slice the potatoes into about 1/4 '' slices. Sprinkle a little salt and pepper on both sides of the potatoes, mixing them to make sure each piece is seasoned. Put the potatoes in the saucepan with the kale and toss everything a few times.

Take a large baking sheet and smear it with olive oil. Roll out the pizza dough or press it down until it fills most of that baking sheet. Top it with the kale, potatoes, and then the cheese. Bake it at 425 degrees for about 10 - 15 minutes, until the crust is golden brown. Take the baking sheet out and allow the pizza to cool on the baking sheet for a few minutes, then transfer it to a cutting board. Cut and eat!